Hunt Regional Healthcare announced Tuesday that it will close its freestanding emergency departments in Commerce and Quinlan at the end of September, citing unsustainable financial losses.
The Hunt Memorial Hospital District board said the decision was necessary to preserve core services for Hunt County residents. The two departments, which have operated for years as smaller outposts of the Greenville-based hospital, will officially close at 7 p.m. on September 30.
According to the district, keeping the facilities open would have required more than $15 million a year in continued operating expenses. Leaders pointed to rising costs of supplies and labor, a growing number of uninsured patients, and lower reimbursements from insurers as factors that made the model untenable.
The closures follow other cost-cutting moves earlier this year, when Hunt Regional laid off 43 employees and reduced some programs to stabilize its finances.
While the emergency rooms are shutting down, Hunt Regional Urgent Care in Commerce will remain open, and a new urgent care clinic is planned for Quinlan. Emergency services will continue to be available in Greenville, where Hunt Regional’s flagship hospital operates a 24/7 emergency department. Hunt County EMS will continue to transport trauma patients to Greenville or to other hospitals depending on the severity of the case.
The decision carries added weight in Commerce, home to East Texas A&M University and its NCAA Division I sports programs. The university enrolls more than 12,000 students, and while many take classes online or at satellite campuses, thousands are still based in Commerce during the academic year. Too, large crowds regularly gather for home games and other campus events. Without a local emergency department, serious medical cases on campus — whether among athletes, fans, or students — will require transport out of town, increasing response times.
The hospital district emphasized that the changes are intended to safeguard long-term healthcare access in the county, even though residents in Commerce and Quinlan will now face longer travel times for emergency treatment.
Full announcement: Hunt Regional Healthcare.
